Stirrup.



110.836,000. A IPA'IBNTED Nov. 13, 190s. Gf. H. ZIMMBRMAN. STIRRUP.

APPLIGA'IIOI FILED AUG. 2. 1904.

Witnessesz f 'a l j UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE',

GUS H. ZIMMERMAN, OF FORT vWORTH, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO J. J. HORAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, AND ONE-HALF TO C. J. E KELLNER, OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS.

STIRRUP.,

are. 836.000.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 1906.

Application filed August 2, 1904. Serial No. 219,168.

To cir/ZZ whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, GUS H. ZIMMERMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Worth,in the county of Tarrant and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stirrups, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stirrups, and the object is to provide improved safety-stirrups.

The stirrups heretofore in use necessitate that a person stand behind the stirrup in its i swinging position in order to mount a horse or other animal. There the animal is perfectly gentle and reliable, there is no danger or particular inconvenience in using the oldstyle stirrup or stirrups in common use. any animals are not gentle and not afew are vicious and will kick a person Whenever possible. There are other animals that are gentle enough, but they are eager to start and will start before a person can mount unless unusual efforts are made to mount. It is difficult to mount such animal with such stirrups as are in common use, because the person has to stand almost behind the animal to use the stirrup. -I have provided a stirrup with which a personmay mount the animal when standing as far forward as the saddle and even as far forward as the neck of the animal. With such a stirrup a person can keep out of the way of a kicking animal and yet stand in position to mount the animal. I/Vith such a stirrup a person can more easily mount an animal which attempts to start off too soon, because the person can stand up by the animals neck where he can get a firm hold on the bridle. The stirrup is also a safety-stirrup, because the foot will come out of the stirrup easily from any position the foot perchance may occupy.

Other objects and advantages will be fully explained in the following description, and the invention will be more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this application and specification.

Figure l is a side elevation of a stirrup for the left foot, the left side of the figure being considered the front of the stirrup. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a stirrup for the right foot, the left side of the figure'being considered the front of the stirrup or the side toward the animalshead. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the stirrup. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional plan view taken along the line x of Figs. l and 3.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

This stirrup has side bars l and 2, a treadbar 3, integral with the side bars, and a supporting-bar 4, which may be integral with the side bars 1 and 2. The supporting-bar 4 may be tubular and have open communication through the sides of the stirrup. In the stirrup for the right foot the side bars are indicated by the reference-numerals 5 and 6. The side bars may have ribs 7 to strengthen the same without making the side bars very thick. The tread-bar 3 may be perforated, as shown in Fig. 4, for lightness. The treadbar may be of any suitable width and thickness. An upwardly-extending loop 8 is mounted in the supporting-bar 3 and may be secured thereto in any suitable manner. The illustration shows the ends of the loop let through the supporting-bar and riveted therein. The object of the loop 8 is to prevent the stirrup from swinging out of reach of the foot. The loop extends up between the stirrup-leathers, and the stirrup-leathers are laced together on the loop 8. This loop will tend to hold the stirrup in line with the stirrup-leathers. The stirrup will not swing out of the way of the foot, as stirrups frequently do which swing freely in the leathers.

The most important feature of this stirrup is the curved side bars. The object of the curved side bars is to shape the stirrup so that the foot can be thrust in the stirrup when a person i`s standing far enough forward to get a firm hold on the bridle and far enough forward to prevent being kicked by the animal. The outside, the part away from the side of the animal, of each stirrup is curved forward. The inside side bar, the side bar next to the animal, of each stirrup is curved backward so that the foot can be easily thrust intothe stirrup whether a person is standing behind the stirrup or standing up by the animals neck. Another advantage derived from this construction of the side bars is that the danger of the foot hanging in the stirrup is avoided. The particular curvature IOO of the side bars makes an egress for the foot at the side as well as at the rear ofthe stirrup.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A stirrup having a supporting-bar, a tread-bar, and side bars integral with said supporting-bar and said tread-bar, one of said side bars being curved forward and the other side bar being curved backward.

2. In a stirrup of the character indicated, one of the side bars of said stirrup curved forward and the other side bar curved backward.

3. In a stirrup of the character indicated,

the outside side bar curved forward and the i In testimony whereof I set my hand, in the I, presence of two witnesses7 this 14th day of v July, 1904. Y

GUS H. ZIMME/RMAN.v

Witnesses:

L. T. KNIGHT,

A. L. JACKSON.l 

